Twist Of fate
by moon12345
Summary: Robin got back to New York after years of traveling the world. But what she finds there is not what she expects, when a horrible accident leave her to take a job she never thought she would get, taking care of a child.
1. Chapter 1- the accident

AN: new idea I had a few months ago, and only now I got the muse to right it. I'm hoping to make it long, but I'll have to see where it takes me. Hope you'll like it. Please read and review and tell me what you think!

 **Twist of Fate**

 **Chapter 1- the accident**

It was already dark outside when her boss called. She always hated when it happened, because whatever story she had to cover, must be something bad to be happening at this late hour.

She sighed as he told her about the car accident outside of town. Just as she thought; another tragedy to cover. She was well familiar with those. She put on her coat and grabbed her purse and umbrella, and got down to the busy street, waiting for the van to arrive.

It was the beginning of winter, and though she was used to the cold, she pulled her coat tighter around herself. She always loved winter in New York, especially when it rained. The streets were bright by the lights and full of colorful umbrellas.

She had missed it.

It had been a while since she had the chance to enjoy this city. For six years she traveled the globe, from one country to another, doing her job as WWN correspondent reporter. She loved her job, but she started to miss New York, and the ability to call a place her home, so when the channel offered her to be the lead anchor back in America, she couldn't say no.

She was only back for two months, and everything still felt so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. Every corner of the city reminded her of all the things she lost when she moved away, and that's what she was afraid of. She still couldn't bring herself to call her old friends. She hadn't spoken to any of them for so long, that she didn't even know if they were still living in New York, or if they would be willing to get back in touch with her.

So she delayed it as much as she could.

When the van finally arrived, ten minutes later, she closed her wet umbrella and entered the warmth of the vehicle.

The man who sat next to her smiled friendly at her as the van pulled away from the sidewalk. It was Jimmy, the camera man. He was a sweet guy, always being nice and smiling. He had short blond hair and bright blue eyes.

"Hey, Scherbatsky," he said, making Robin's heart ache. She stopped herself from thinking of what that nickname used to mean to her, and of the person who used to call her that. She hadn't thought about him in a long time.

"Hi, Jimmy," she smiled back. "So, what are we covering tonight?"

Jimmy's smile disappeared, to be replaced by a sad frown.

"Some truck hit a car, probably because of the rain. The car got off the road and into a gradient, and last I heard they were still trying to rescue the passengers."

"Wow," Robin whispered, "sounds awful. I hope everything will turn out okay. I'm sick of covering sad stories. It seems that's all we do lately."

"Yeah," said Jimmy, nodding his head. "Poor guy. The driver, I mean. And I think they said something about a little girl, too."

"Oh, no," said Robin, her hurt aching for the victims of the accident. "I really hope they'll be okay. How long 'till we get there?"

"Fifteen more minutes, I think. We're lucky it's late so there's not too much traffic."

It turned out to be half an hour later that they arrived at the accident zone. There were other cars around the big truck, policemen and firemen everywhere.

Luckily for them, the rain had stopped. While Jimmy got all the equipment ready, Robin came closer to find more information on what was going on.

"Excuse me," she tapped a tall policeman on the shoulder. "I'm Robin Scherbatsky from World Wide News." She showed him her badge, "Can you tell me what is going on? Have you rescued the passengers yet?"

He looked at her, annoyed, not pleased with her interrupting him from doing his job. "We got the girl out. Her father is still down there," he pointed at the edge of the road, where a big red fire truck was parking.

"What about the truck driver? Is he okay?"

"Yes. He hit his head on the steering wheel, and he's on his way to the hospital right at the moment, but he seemed to be okay."

"And the others?" she continued to press. "Do you know who they are?"

"No," he replied, still sounding annoyed. "The girl is unconscious, and her father is still in the smashed car, so we don't know details just yet. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my job."

"Yes, of course." She said, as he walked away from her.

She got back to the van, just as Jimmy finished preparing the camera and microphone for her.

"Are you ready?" he asked her, and she shook her head in response.

"There's not enough information yet. Maybe you should just film the area for a little while until they pull the poor guy from the car and then we'll know more."

"What ever you say," he smiled at her sadly and walked past her to get a closer look.

She started to walk around, trying to find more information about the situation. She saw an ambulance parking near by and came closer to it. On a tall stretcher, accompanied by two medical people, lay a small figure. When Robin came even closer she saw it was a young girl. Her blond curls and her pink dress were stained by blood. It made Robin sick to her stomach. She was used to see things like that, but to have it happen to a child seemed so unfair. She hoped that little girl was going to be alright. She seemed so young, maybe five or six years old.

She hoped her father would also be okay. She suddenly wondered where her mother was. She felt sorry for her, to have both her husband and her daughter hurt like that. She never knew what that would feel like, since she never could have children, but she could imagine how awful that must be. Poor thing.

"Hey, Robin!" she heard someone call her, and when she turned around she saw Jimmy waving at her. "Come here! They got him out!"

For some unknown reason, that got Robin to feel relief, and she let out a sigh she didn't know she was holding. She hurried towards her camera man, and tried to look past the crowd of people.

When she saw the man, blood covering almost every inch of his body, his face white and red, laying on the wet road with all those people gathering around him, her heart stopped.

Only one word ran trough her mind.

 _Barney._


	2. Chapter 2- In the hospital

AN: Thanks for the reviews, everyone. I say again that English isn't my first language, so there might be some spelling and grammar mistakes. Sorry about that. Hope you'll like this new episode, please R&R (:

* * *

 **Chapter 2- In the Hospital**

Her mind was frozen. Her body was frozen. She stood frozen to the stop, not able to move a muscle. Her eyes, wide open, were glued to the figure still laying on the ground. His suit jacket ripped in so many places, one shoe was missing, his eyes closed.

She wanted to come closer, but couldn't bring herself to move. She ignored Jimmy's voice who asked her what was wrong, while she watched as the paramedics carried his body over to the ambulance, to be placed on a stretcher next to his daughter.

 _His daughter?_

She didn't even know he _had_ a daughter.

But it didn't matter at the moment, she figured. What mattered was that they pulled both of the wounded figures into the ambulance, and away from her.

There was a mess of people running around the area, blocking her path, but she had to get to him. She started running towards the ambulance, pushing people on the way.

"Robin!" she heard Jimmy calling after her, but she ignored him once again. She had to see him one more time; she had to know if he was okay. Nothing else mattered until she knew he was safe and alright.

But as she got there it was too late, and the ambulance had already took off.

"Robin!" Jimmy finally caught up with her, panting. "Robin, what are you doing?"

She turned to look at him, panicked, "We have to follow that ambulance!"

"What? Why?" he asked, confused. "What are you talking about? We have to cover the story first, find some policeman to interview maybe."

"No!" she nearly shouted, surprising him. "I have to know he's okay!"

"Robin, calm down," he tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but that only made her flinch away from him.

"Please, Jimmy, there's no time, I need to get to the hospital, now!"

"But why?" he asked again.

"That was my ex-husband!"

They stared at each other, surprise in his eyes and panic in hers, when finally he said what she wanted to hear.

"Let's go."

They hurried back to the van, packed their equipment and took off, driving the same direction as the ambulance. She knew Jimmy wanted to ask her more, but he stayed silent during the whole ride, which Robin was grateful for. It gave her time to think.

Barney had been in a car accident. The reality of it hit her like a thunder, slicing at her heart. She didn't talk to him for almost six years, since their divorce, and now he was in a car accident, blooded and fainted and on the way to the hospital.

She tried to block the tears that were threatening to fall, but she couldn't keep them in.

By the time they got to the hospital, the ambulance was already parked and empty. Jimmy helped her out of the van, and walked with her inside the big building.

"Hello," she choked out to the lady at the reception. "My… My ex-husband was brought here a few minutes ago. His name's Barney Stinson."

She watched anxiously as the woman searched through her computer, until finally she raised her head and looked back at her, sympathy in her eyes.

"He was indeed brought here, same for your daughter."

Robin didn't bother correcting her.

"They're both in surgery right now, but you can wait for them if you want. I'll call for a doctor to fill you in on the details."

"Thank you." Said Robin, and turned to Jimmy who stood by her.

"Thanks for driving me here. You can go now," she told him. "I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking at her still wet cheeks. "I can stay with you if you want."

"No, that's okay," she had to refuse his offer. "But thank you. Can you call the office, though? Tell them what happened and make them pick someone else to cover the story?"

"Of course! Let me know if you need anything," he said, and she had to force herself to smile at his kindness.

"Thanks, really."

"No problem," he hugged her briefly, before saying goodbye and leaving.

Robin stayed sitting in a hospital bench, waiting for someone to tell her what was going on. Her mind was blank, she couldn't let herself think about anything, because she knew she would only start to cry again, and she had to be strong.

She wanted to call someone, she knew she should. But she wasn't sure who to call, and what to tell them. She still didn't know what Barney's state was. She knew she should probably let Barney's wife (she felt her heart shrink at that thought) know about what happened, but she didn't know who that woman was. She felt so bad; she didn't know what was going on in any of her friend's lives. How could she not know that Barney had a daughter? She wanted for it to be a mistake, a misunderstanding. Maybe the girl was just some girl he was babysitting? But she knew that she was just fooling herself, and that she had to be his daughter.

She sat there for what felt like hours, until finally a young doctor came towards her, dressed in a white robe and holding a writing pad in his hand.

"Excuse me, miss," he greeted her. "Are you here for Mr. Stinson?"

"Yes!" she nearly yelled. "Yes, is he okay?"

"Are you his wife?" he asked her. She wanted to lie, but she knew that was a bad idea.

"Yes, I, ah… I used to be."

"Oh," said the doctor, examining her. "I'm sorry but I can't inform you of anything until we let his family know first."

She felt her heart sink and her face fell. "Please, I just need to know he's okay!"

He must have seen how desperate she was, because he smiled sadly at her, and said, "We already informed his emergency contact about what happened, and he said he is on his way here."

"Ted?" she asked hopefully. It had been so long since she saw him.

The doctor checked the files in his hand and turned to look at her again, shaking his head. "No, Mr. James Stinson."

Robin wanted to know more, but she knew there was no point in arguing with the man. She will have to wait for Barney's brother to come and tell her what was going on. She hoped it would be soon, because she couldn't handle not knowing much longer.

She wondered why Barney's emergency contact was James, and not Ted, like it used to be. Or why wasn't it his wife? Maybe he wasn't married after all, and the girl was from some woman he knocked up. That would be a better explanation, and she hated herself for hoping that was the case.

She looked through her phone to pass the time, listening to the new voice mail from her boss. He said he was supporting her and asked her to call him and tell him the news about the victims as soon as she could. She hated hearing the word _victim_ as referring to Barney.

After another hour she decided it was time for her to gather her courage and call her friends. They deserved to know what was happening, and even if she didn't want to be the one to tell them, she knew she had to. It was better for them to find out now, rather that hearing about it later on the news.

She dialed Lily's old number, hoping it was still accurate. She knew it was still early, and she hoped her old friend would be up.

She felt her heart pounding with each ring, until finally she heard a tired voice on the other side of the line.

"Hello?" it was Lily, and Robin was both relief and nervous.

"Hey, Lily."

There was a gasp, followed by a few seconds of silence, when finally Lily responded. " _Robin_?"

"Yeah …"

"Oh my god, Robin! Marshall, it's Robin!"

She could hear a sleeping _"wha-…?"_ in the background.

"Robin, how are you? _Where_ are you? It's been so long!"

Lily sounded so exited, and it killed Robin to know that after all this time, her friend was still happy to hear from her. She hated herself for disappearing from her friends' lives like they meant nothing to her. But she couldn't be around them at the time, it hurt too much after the divorce.

"I'm fine, Lily. And actually I'm back in New York, but that's not why –"

"What? You're in New York?" Lily asked in surprise. "When did you get back? Why didn't you call sooner?"

"For about two months, but it doesn't matter right now," Robin said quickly before she could be interrupted again. "I have to tell you something, Lily."

"What?"

But she didn't know what to say. How do you tell someone that one of their best friends has been in a car accident?

"Robin? What is it? Did something happen?"

"Um, yes… It's Barney. He was involved in a car accident. A truck hit his car. He's in the hospital right now."

Lily gasped again. "What? Oh my god. Is he okay?"

"I don't know," admitted Robin, defeated. "They won't tell me anything, because I'm not his family. They said they called James and that he's on his way."

"But James lives in LA, it will take him time to get there, at least another day!"

Robin's face fell even more after hearing this. She didn't know where James lived since she wasn't in touch with anyone the past few years. She didn't even think about it before Lily mentioned it.

"I guess I'll just have to wait."

"I hope he's okay," Lily said through her phone, "I can't imagine what would happen if… if he… no, he has to make it. If anything, he has to make it for Ellie."

"Ellie?" asked Robin, confused. Was that his wife's name?

"Oh, right. You don't know that. Barney has a daughter, Ellie."

Oh. So the girl's name was Ellie, and she really was his daughter. She wanted to ask Lily more about that, but knew now was not the time.

"Actually," Robin said sadly, "she was in the car as well, and she's in surgery right now, too."

"No… please tell me it's not true," begged Lily. "It would be too awful."

"I'm sorry," said Robin.

"Well… well, they'll just have to be okay, then. There is no other option."

"I really hope so. Do you think you can come here?" she asked hopefully. She really wanted to see her friend, and she realized she also didn't want to be alone in that big cold hospital.

"Oh, sweetie, I… I can't," said Lily, letting go a sigh. "I wish I could, and I would try to be there as soon as I can, but right now… I'm in Italy."

"What?" whatever she expected Lily to say, that was not it.

"Marshall and I loved it when we were here a few years ago, and we decided we wanted to go back. So we took the kids and we're been staying here for the past few months."

Once again Robin was hit by the realization that she knew nothing of her friends' lives.

"But I'll see if I can book a ticket to New York in the next few days. I have to be there for Barney!"

"That would be great, Lil." She hoped she still had the privilege to call her that, and that Lily wouldn't think it was too weird.

"Make sure to call me and tell me when you have more news!"

"Sure. I think I should call Ted, you know… let him know too."

"Oh, um… I don't know if that's a good idea right now," said Lily. Robin frowned in confusion. Why would that not be a good idea? Ted deserved to know.

"Why not?" she asked her friend.

"There is something you don't know…"

 _Another thing_ , Robin thought bitterly.

"You remember Tracy, right?"

"Ted's wife? Sure, what about her?"

Robin could hear Lily's hesitation when she finally replied, "She has cancer. She's in a hospital right now herself, fighting it with chemo treatments."

Robin heart sank. Could this day get any worse?

"I can't believe I didn't know any of that… Lily, I… I'm sorry I-"

She was sorry for so many things, for not being around for all those stuff, for not being there to support her best friends.

She didn't have to finish her sentence, though, since Lily seemed to get what she wanted to say.

"You're there now, that's what matters. You're there for him now."

Robin wondered if that was ever going to be good enough and make up for the time she had missed.

"So, anyway," Lily said, changing the subject. "The kids are up, I should go. Call me if you know anything! And I'll let you know when I can come."

"Thanks, Lil."

"Sure, Robin. Thanks for calling to tell me." There was a moment of silence, and Robin wasn't sure if she had hung up, but then Lily added quietly, "I missed you," and the line went dead.


	3. Chapter 3- James

**Chapter 3- James**

She waited at the hospital for another few hours, watching the doctors and nurses passing her by. No one had come to give her more news, and eventually the tiredness took over and she fell asleep, leaning her head on the cold wall behind her.

She didn't know for how long she slept, but after what seemed like only a few minutes to her, someone shook her shoulder. She opened her eyes slowly, not sure where she was at first. But then she saw who woke her, and everything came back to her. The hospital, the accident, Barney.

"Robin?" asked a very confused James Stinson. He looked down at her, obviously surprised to see her there.

"Hey, James," she said. She didn't see him for seven years, but he still looked the same to her. Maybe just a little bit older.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her.

She stood up to join him, stretching her whole body. It was very uncomfortable, sleeping on a bench. "I was covering the accident story and I had to come here to make sure Barney's okay," she answered his question.

"I didn't even know you were back in town," he told her, and she just shrugged. She could feel the tension between them. Ever since hers and Barney's wedding, her relationship with James wasn't on best terms, and it got even worse after the divorce.

"Do you have any news? Did they tell you anything?" she asked him, eager to finally find out if Barney was fine or not.

James looked at her for a moment before replying, "Yes, they did."

"Well," she wanted to yell at him, but tried to stay calm. They were in the middle of a hospital, after all. "Tell me! Is he okay?!"

 _Please, let him be okay._ She never believed in god, but if there was ever a time to start believing, now would be that time.

James shook his head, and the one word cut through Robin's heart. "No."

Her whole body started to shake as new tears started to form in her eyes. She whipped them away, and asked quietly, "Is he… is he dead?" she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer to that question, but she had to know.

"No, he's still alive," James informed her, and she felt relief wash over her.

"Oh, thank god," she breathed out, almost choking on her tears. She smiled in relief, but then she noticed James looking at her sadly. "What?" she asked him, worriedly. "Is it Ellie, then? Is she okay?"

"Ellie's fine. She was out of surgery a few hours ago, and she's out of danger."

"That's great," she said, and looked at his still troubled face. "Then what is it?"

"It's Barney," he sighed, and sat heavily on the bench. She sat next to him slowly, fearing his next words.

"He wouldn't wake up. They say it's too early to tell for sure, but they are pretty sure he's in a state of coma."

Robin didn't know what to think of that news. She hated them, but at least it was better than finding out he was dead. She shook her head at that thought; it wasn't doing her any good thinking like that.

"He'll be alright," she said firmly, trying to convince both James and herself.

James chuckled bitterly at that. "Yeah, he will. It's Barney, after all."

"Yeah, it's Barney."

James looked at his watch, and then turned to look at her again. "Why don't you go home? It looks like you've been here all night, and I think it's best for you to go get some rest."

"No, I –" she couldn't go home. She couldn't leave Barney. Not again. She remembered what Lily said to her, _you're there for him now._ She had to be there when he woke up. She owed him that much. She didn't want to leave him again and go back to her old life.

After seeing him last night, all covered in blood, and the thought that she might not get to see him again, made her realize something. She never wanted to go another day without seeing him again.

"I'm staying right here," she said out loud, not directing it at James, but hoping for him to understand that she wasn't going anywhere.

"Fine, then, suit yourself."

He got up and started to walk away from her, and she hurried after him. "Wait, where are you going?"

He kept walking, entering a small corridor. "To sit with Ellie. I don't want her to be alone right now."

"Oh," she said, following him. She didn't know what to do now. Sitting with her ex-husband's daughter didn't seem right to her, but what else did she have to do? She was tired of sitting there by herself. "I'm coming with you," she said, when he entered a small elevator.

"No, you're not." He said, and she hurried to get in before the door closed.

"Yes, I am."

"Did you even know he has a daughter before last night?" he asked, angrily.

Robin looked down in shame. He got to her, but she wasn't going to let him win. She would be there for Barney this time. She had to.

"No, but I know now and I'm not going to go away."

"Didn't stop you six years ago," he said while the elevator stopped. She had to admit, he did manage to hit a nerve.

"Look. I'm staying here, at least until he wakes up. And I don't care what you have to say about it," she stepped out into a new corridor, following him.

They got to a door in the end of the corridor, and James turned to look at her. "You have no right to be here," he told her harshly. "You left him a long time ago, and chose to walk out of his life. You can't just come back now, six years later, when he isn't even able to say anything about it, just because you-"

But she cut him off, not wanting to hear the rest of it. "That's exactly why I need to be here for him, now. I know I left, and that I have no right to come back just like that, but he needs me right now, and I can't walk away from him again. Don't you see, James? I have to make it up to him!" she said, tears spilling from her eyes again. She didn't mean to say all of that to him, but once it was out she realized it was the truth. She felt awful for leaving Barney and starting a new life without him, not even being there to see him becoming a father.

She always felt bad for not being able to give him the thing she knew he wanted from her, and she was happy that at least by her leaving him, he got to get that from someone else.

James looked at her, not saying a word. A few minutes have passed, when suddenly he grabbed the door handle and opened the door. She looked at him, shocked, as he gestured for her to come in.

She was scared of what she would see on the other side of the door, but she knew she had to get over her fear and do the right thing, for Barney.

She entered the small room, taking a look at the white hospital bed in the middle. There was a small figure laying in it, covered by white sheet. She was sleeping, and that made Robin a little bit more comfortable. She had a few bandages on her arms and one on her left cheek, but other than that she seemed to be fine.

Robin, and James who came in after her, took their sits on either sides of the bad. Now that she wasn't covered in blood, Robin could see that she looked a lot like Barney. She had his narrow nose and his high forehead, and of course the blond hair. But she also had differences, her big puffy lips and her small chin. She probably got that from her mother. Robin wondered again who that woman was, and where was she right now? Was she even aware her daughter was in a hospital?

"She looks just like Barney," she said instead of asking all the questions that were running through her head.

James smiled at that, "Yeah, she does."

"I'm sorry I wasn't around for so long," she apologized, though she knew he wasn't the one she should apologize to.

James sighed. "It was pretty rough on him after you two got divorced. He took it really hard."

Robin felt even worse after hearing this.

"He got back to his old habits, sleeping around and drinking and gambling. It didn't help that it was hard for him to find a new job. But then Ellie happened, and she changed him. He got back to the person he used to be with you, and he realized that there were still things worth living for."

"I'm sorry," she said again, because she didn't know what else to say.

"You should tell that to him, when he wakes up," he told her, and she nodded, both of them ignoring the implied _if he wakes up_.

Suddenly there was a movement from the bed between them, and the small girl's eyes opened wide, looking everywhere around her in panic.

When her eyes landed on Robin, they became even wider, and Robin found herself staring at Barney's eyes. They were exactly the same color and shape, that it scared her and she had to look away.

Ellie then noticed James and relaxed immediately. "Uncle James," she whispered, her voice small and course.

"Hey, Ellie baby," James smiled reassuringly at her, taking carefully a hold on her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"M-my head hurts," she mumbled quietly, glancing nervously at Robin. "Who's that?" she asked her uncle.

James and Robin switched glances, and he turned back to his niece. "That's Robin, she's um..."

"I'm friends with your dad," Robin chipped in, because she hoped that was what she was.

"Oh," said Ellie. She smiled shyly at her. "Nice to meet you. I'm Ellie."

"Hi Ellie, nice to meet you to," she smiled back at the young girl. She had to admit she was one of the most beautiful girls she had ever seen.

"Where's my daddy?" she asked James, while he started to stroke her hair with his hand.

"He's asleep right now," he told her, because what else could he say?

"Can you wake him? I want him to take me home," she said, a single tear running down her wounded cheek.

"Not right now, baby," said James, whipping the tear away with his thumb. "Maybe you should go back to sleep yourself, it's already late. Look, it's dark outside," he said, pointing at the small window in the room. It was indeed very dark out side.

"O-okay," the girl sniffed, yawned in the most adorable way Robin had even seen, and closed her eyes, falling to sleep rather quickly.

They sat there for a few moments, each trapped in his own thoughts, when suddenly James said, "it's not fair, you know?"

Robin turned to look at him, raising her eyebrow at him, as if to question what he was talking about.

"Barney is all she has," he explained.

She thought maybe now would finally be the right time to question him about the girl's mother, but then the door opened and a nurse entered the room.

"James Stinson?" she asked, and James nodded and got up.

"Yeah, that's me," he told her.

"I have here Ellie's surgery results. Everything seems fine. She was very lucky; it seems that her father took most of the blows on himself. She needs to stay here for the night, and after we check her again in the morning to make sure she really is fine, she could go home."

James' face looked torn between joy and restlessness. "She can go home? Already?" he asked, making sure he understood her right.

"Yes, she can," the nurse replied.

"Okay, then. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now I'm going to ask you to leave, visiting hours are over. She'll be alright here by herself tonight, she has us to take care of her, and you can come tomorrow to pick her up."

The nurse smiled at them kindly before dismissing them from the room. They walked quietly, side by side, out of the hospital. Robin didn't want to leave, but she knew there was no point in staying another night on a bench. She needed to take a shower, change her cloths and get a good night sleep.

When they reached the street outside, and tried to stop a cab, Robin turned to face James. "Where are you staying?" she asked him.

"Hotel room," he shrugged.

"Alright, then." Just then a cab stopped near them, and he opened the door for her. "See you tomorrow?"

he looked up at her in surprise. "You're coming?"

"Of course," she said, a bit offended by the question. "I told you, this time I'm not going away."

He nodded, and closed the door behind her. "Good night, then. See you tomorrow." He waved at her as the cab took off.


	4. Chapter 4- Ellie

**AN: Hey everyone, thanks for reviewing! I just wanted to say a few things before you'll read the next chapter. first, I know that according to the finale, Ellie was supposed to be born around 2020, about 3 or 4 years after the divorse, so she should be younger, but I wanted her to be old enough in this story, and I also think it's sad Barney had to go 3-4 more years sleeping around and do nothing, alone. so I gave him Ellie a little sooner.**

 **Secondly, Robin might be a bit OOC here, but I don't really like the way she is in the show, the way she cheated on Kevin, and acted as if it meant nothing and didn't even tell him, and how she treated Barney really badly a lot of times.. so I'm trying to make her do better things here, because I think she needs to step up at one point in her life, and I think that six years of traveling alone might help her get there.**

 **so anyway, keep R &R,it really makes me happy to see that you love where it's going so far! (:**

 **Chapter 4- Ellie**

After a restless sleep and a quick shower, Robin left her apartment again to get back to the Hospital. She didn't even drink her usual morning coffee; she didn't want to waste any more time. It was rather early, so there weren't too many people outside, and she got into a cab in no time. She looked through the wet window, watching the city waking up to life. It was pouring rain outside, and it resembled the storm that took place inside her heart.

When she got to the hospital she paid the driver and hurried through the large building to Ellie's room. Luckily for her she had pretty sharp memory, and she got there in less than five minutes.

James was already there, sitting in a chair, waiting for the nurses to give him permission to get in the room.

When he noticed her he greeted her, but his smile did not reach his eyes.

"How are you? Slept well?" he asked her, and she shook her head.

"Not even a little," she replied.

"Yeah, me too."

They waited outside of Ellie's room for the nurses to finish their tests, neither of them saying another word. After half an hour, who felt like forever to Robin, the nurse from last night came out of the room and smiled at them.

"You can come in," she told them. "Everything is fine, just as we hoped. Ellie is just fine, and she can go home."

Robin followed James into the room, just in time to see him hugging his little niece. "Did you hear that, Ellie? You can come home!" he said happily, but Robin could tell there was something else in his voice.

"Yay!" the girl cried happily, hugging her uncle back and smiling brightly at him. She had fresh new bandages on her arms and face, but she didn't look as pale as she was the night before.

"What about Daddy?" she asked, making Robin's heart break.

"He has to stay here for a few more days," James told her, and her face fell.

"I want my Daddy!" she yelled, crossing her arms and sitting stubbornly on the bed. "I'm not going if Daddy won't take me!"

Robin, who watched the whole scene with out letting out a word, came closer and sat next to the crying girl on the bed. She hesitated just a second before putting her hand on Ellie's shoulder, making her head to turn up and look at her.

"Hey Ellie, remember me?" she asked, and the girl nodded, confused.

"What if I told you that there is something you really want waiting for you at home?" she asked, and Ellie's eyes grew wide.

"What? What? What?" she asked, getting all exited.

Robin looked at James for help. She didn't know that girl, and didn't really know what she would like to get. James mouthed _laser tag_ to her, and she smiled, turning her attention back to Ellie.

"Your own new laser tag gun."

Ellie's eyes grew even wider. "Really? My own? But Daddy said he would get me one just when I turn six!"

"Well, I got you one now, so it will have to be our little secret," she winked at the excited girl.

They took two different cabs to Barney's and Ellie's apartment, since Robin had to stop and buy the laser gun as she promised. When she got to Barney's address, and saw the familiar building in front of her, she was filled by memories from her and Barney's past together. How could she have thrown it all away, for a job? She loved Barney so much, that thinking about him laying in the hospital bed was almost unbearable.

Robin entered the building, making her way almost automatically to Barney's door. When James opened the door for her, she entered the apartment, and was immediately stricken by how much it had changed. The stormtrooper was still there, and so were the grey walls and furniture, but the rest was different.

There were toys and dolls scattered all around the floor. On the shelves in the hall, where Barney used to keep his porn collection, now stood a bunch of picture frames. There was one of smiling Barney, holding a small baby in his arms. Another one was of a younger Ellie, sitting on a baby chair, a cone in her hand and ice cream smeared all over her face. There was one of Barney with James and his family, and one of Loretta, their mother. The last one she noticed was an old photo of the gang, sitting in their booth in Maclarens'. It looked like another life time to her. A life she wished she could go back to.

She gave Ellie her present, and it immediately lit up her small face. She ran around the living room, shooting imaginary people and rolling on the floor.

"Thanks for that," James told Robin as she watched the laughing girl from her sit by the kitchen counter.

"Sure," she replied, scanning the room once more. It was so familiar, yet so different.

"Do you want Coffee?" he asked her, and she agreed gladly. She really needed one right now.

"Can I ask you something?" he said while handing her the hot mug.

"What?" she asked, taking a sip, which made her feel so much better. She smiled at the warmth of the liquid sliding down her throat.

"Do you think he would wake up?"

She looked up sharply.

"Yes."

James sighed. "I think so too. I'm just scared it would take him time."

"Well, I guess it might. You said the doctors think he's in a state of coma. But he would wake up eventually, he has to. I mean, it's only been two days."

James turned to look at Ellie, who noticed and called for him, "Uncle James, did you see what I did? It was legendary!"

"Nice one, Ellie!" he called back at her, and then turned back to Robin. "If he won't wake up in the next few days, I'll have to take her with me to LA."

"What?"

"I'm her godfather, it's my job to take care of her if something happens to Barney. But I can't stay here for too long. I have a family back in LA, Tom and Eli and Sadie. And my job too."

"But you can't just take her with you," argued Robin. She put down her coffee angrily. She didn't know why she felt so strongly about it, but she couldn't let that happen. Barney needed his daughter to be close by, in case he woke up. And she deserved to be close to her father. "She needs to be here when he wakes up!"

"I know, but what can I do? I can't just leave my life!"

"No, no way. I can't let you take her to the other side of the continent. She has her life here, her home and kindergarten and friends!"

Ellie stopped her play to stare at them, scared look on her face. She didn't like hearing people screaming at each other.

"Ellie, why don't you go play in your room?" James told her, and the little girl nodded and got into the spare room in the apartment.

"Look, Robin, I know you want to help but honestly, this is none of your business-"

"None of my business? This is my ex-husband's daughter you're talking about!"

"Exactly, your _ex_ -husband. She is my niece, and my responsibility!"

Robin hated to admit it, but he was right about that. As much as she tried to deny it, this was none of her business. She no longer had a say in Barney's life. But she couldn't help but feel that it wasn't right. She knew how much Barney suffered from his father for leaving him when he was just a child, and she knew he wouldn't want that to happen to his daughter as well.

"You can't seriously be thinking about separating her from her Dad." She said quietly. "You _know_ how much Barney would hate that."

James looked at her, defeat written on his face. "You're right," he admitted. "But what else can I do?"

The answer left her mouth before she could even think about what she was saying. "I'll take care of her."

His eyes shot up to meet hers. " _You_?"

"Yes, me," she said, and she knew she would do it in a heart beat, if it meant helping Barney. He did so much for her in the past, it was about time she started to pay him back. "If you have to go back to LA, then go. But I can't let you take her away from him."

He sent her a doubted glare. "But you hate children."

"I don't hate children!" she said, offended. Yes, she might hadn't gotten along with kids in the past, and maybe if someone told her she would have to take care of a child a few years or even months ago she would totally freak out. But it was Barney's daughter they were talking about, and after meeting her and seeing her smile and how her eyes resembled Barney's, she knew she could do it. She _had_ to do it. For Barney.

"I don't know if that's such a good-" James tried to object, but she didn't let him finish.

"I care about him, James. I know I messed up by not being here for the past six years, but I know him well enough to know that he wouldn't want you to take her away."

James looked at her with out saying a word, and it gave her the permission she needed to keep talking.

"Let's wait for another few days, and if we see that he's still not waking up," she stopped, hating thinking about that and hoping with all her heart that wasn't going to happen, "then you can go back to your family and I'll take care of Ellie, at least until we'll figure out another solution."

"Alright," he said, and she smiled, relieved. "We'll wait another two days."


	5. chapter 5- The adventures of Sparkles

Chapter 5- The adventures of Sparkles

It was three days after Ellie got out of the hospital, and Barney still didn't wake up. The Doctors were pretty sure he was indeed in coma, and couldn't tell when, or if, he would wake up.

After trying to argue her again, James finally realized there was no better solution than for Robin to keep watching Ellie, and they decided he would take off to LA, and be back to New York in two weeks, if nothing would change.

In those three days she had time to think it over. She will stay with Ellie in Barney's place, she already made sure to transfer some of her cloths and stuff there. She will take Ellie to and from her kindergarten each day (but only in a few more days, because the doctors recommended another week of rest at home), she will get her food and medicine and everything else that she needed. She even called her boss and informed him she needed a two weeks break.

It was just for two weeks, until James could settle his things in LA and find another solution to the situation.

"Are you _sure_ you're going to be okay watching her by yourself?" he asked her again when they arrived at the airport.

"I'll be fine," she promised him, hoping she was right. She didn't have a clue when it came to taking care of children. But she knew she'll do her best.

"Call me if something happens, at any time. I mean it!" he told her.

"Don't worry."

He hugged Ellie goodbye, and then surprised Robin by hugging her too.

"Thanks, Robin." He whispered to her, waved at them one last time and walked into the departure area.

And then she was alone with Barney's daughter for the first time.

It was already late when they got back to Barney's apartment, and Robin helped Ellie to take a shower and to get dressed, then put her to bed.

She poured herself a glass of whine, and decided it was time to call Lily again and let her know about everything that happened since they last spoken. It was better than sitting alone in the apartment with her thoughts. So she took out her phone and dialed Lily's number.

"So, you're taking care of Ellie?" Lily asked in surprise, after Robin told her the news.

"Yes, James couldn't stay here for much longer, and he wanted to take Ellie with him to Los Angeles, but I thought it was best for her to stay close to Barney when he wakes up."

"I guess it will be best," said Lily. "Did you go to see Barney yet? From what I've heard it's important for people in coma to hear familiar voices. I don't know if it's true, but it is worth a try."

The truth was that Robin still hadn't gone to see Barney at the hospital. She wanted to, but she was scared. She remembered seeing him on the ground, covered in blood, and she didn't think she could handle seeing him in the hospital, looking all dead.

She knew she should, but she wanted to delay it for a few more days. Maybe when Ellie went back to her kindergarten, she would go and see him alone.

"Um, no," she answered Lily's question. "Not yet."

"Well, do that soon."

"I will," she promised.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," said Lily, sounding upset, "there's a big storm coming in Italy's way this week, so I won't be able to fly to New York for at least another six or seven days."

"Really? I was looking forward to seeing you," said Robin. She was disappointed by hearing that. She needed Lily, maybe now more than ever. She wanted her to be there so she wouldn't have to deal with everything on her own.

"I know, me too. But I will come as soon as I can, I promise!"

"Okay," Robin sighed. She didn't want to think about it anymore, so decided to change the subject. "So, how is Marshall? And the kids?"

"Everyone's doing great. Marshall was actually really happy when I told him you called the other day. Well, he wasn't happy to hear the reason for which you called, but still. We all really miss you. Marvin and Daisy miss their aunt. And you didn't even get to meet Anne, did you?"

"No," said Robin shamefully. Anne was Lily and Marshall's third child, who Robin didn't even meet. She saw pictures that Lily sent her when she was born, but after a while, when Robin became more and more distant, the pictures turned fewer and fewer until eventually Lily stopped trying.

"Well, you will. I'm sure she'll love you. She's just a bit older than Ellie."

"Um, Lily, can I ask you something?" she asked hesitantly.

"You just did," joked Lily, trying to lighten up the conversation.

"I'm serious," said Robin, to which Lily replied, "Of course."

She paused for a moment, debating with herself if now was the right time, but decided there just wasn't going to be a right time to bring that up.

"What's the story with Ellie's mother?"

"Oh, um… do you remember when Barney had that perfect week, when he thought he was about the get fired?"

"Yes," Robin replied, confused. She remembered her own feelings during that week. It was just after they had broken up for the first time, and she hated seeing him with all those girls.

"Well, a few months after your divorce, he had a… perfect month."

"A _month_?!"

That was low, even for Barney. She thought he had changed after their wedding, but apparently, he was still being Barney. Where did he even find thirty girls to sleep with in one month?

"Yeah. So anyway, turned out this girl Trish, the last girl Barney slept with that month, was pregnant."

"Wow," was all Robin managed to say. She always knew Barney would mess up some day. And it turned out he really did. To get a girl pregnant, after sleeping with thirty other girls, was really disgusting.

"She was very young," Lily went on with her story. "She didn't want kids but when she realized she was pregnant it was already too late, and she gave birth to Ellie. I remember Barney's face after he saw his daughter for the first time. I think he fell in love with her in that moment."

Robin's heart nearly broke after hearing that. She knew Barney always wanted kids, no matter how much he tried to deny it. She saw it in his eyes that time she told him she might be pregnant with his child.

"So, um… where is she now? I mean, do you think she even know her daughter has been in a car accident?"

"Oh, no, she's ah… she's dead."

Robin did not see that one coming.

"What?"

"She died three years ago, from overdose drug use. Ellie was only two, and Barney had to take care of her on his own since then. We helped him as much as we could, of course. But I think he was doing a pretty good job himself."

Robin was quiet for a while. All that new information overwhelmed her. She could not believe how much things have changed since she had left the gang. For her, nothing changed much. She got to see the world, traveling to so many beautiful and interesting places, but for the rest of them things got pretty difficult. Barney with his kid, Ted with his dying wife.

She wanted to smack herself again for not being there to support her friends.

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she saw someone watching her. Ellie stood by the entrance of her room, holding a small doll in her hand, and looked straight at her with tears in her eyes.

"Lily, I have to go," she said to the phone.

"Okay, talk to you soon. Good night," Lily said, and Robin hung up. She put her phone down and got up from the couch, walking towards the little girl. When she got to her, she bended down so she could look at her in eye level.

"What is it, Ellie? Are you okay?"

"I-I can't sl-sleep," the girl said, sniffing her nose.

"Come on, let's get you back to bed," Robin leaded her back into her room. She helped her get into bed again, covering her with the big blanket.

She was about to leave the room, not really sure what else she was supposed to do, when she heard something that made her stop in her track.

"Is my daddy gonna die?"

She turned around to look at the crying girl. As much awkward as it felt, talking to her ex-husband's five year old daughter, she couldn't stand seeing her cry like that.

"No," she said softly, walking back and sitting on the bed next to her. "No, Ellie. Your Dad is not going to die."

"How do you know?"

Robin wiped the tears away from Ellie's cheeks and smiled down at her. "Because I know your Dad, and I know that he is the strongest man on earth. So I know that he will be okay. And that he will never leave you alone."

She was surprised for how easily the words flew out of her mouth. Ellie looked at her, her eyes big and trusting. "Do you promise?"

"I promise."

Ellie nodded, but when Robin tried to get up again, Ellie put her hand on hers.

"Can you read me a story?"

"Um, sure, okay" Robin replied. She wasn't one for reading bed time stories for kids, and she was really tired, but she saw the begging in Ellie's eyes, and remembered her promise to do everything for this kid until Barney wakes up.

"Which one do you want?" she asked, pointing to the pile of books standing on the nightstand.

"This one," Ellie grabbed the one on the top and handed it to Robin. It was a thin book, who didn't weight much. The cover was pink, with a hand drawing of a young girl with blond hair and jean jacket.

Robin read the title out loud.

"The adventures of Sparkles."

A small gasp escaped her lips.

There was a children book, about _her_?

"W-where did you get that book?" she asked shakily. Ellie didn't seem to notice. She smiled happily at her instead.

"Daddy gave it to me on my forth birthday. It's my favorite!"

"Oh." _Did Barney write this book?_ She wondered while opening it and started to read.

"Once upon a time, in a far far land called Canadawesome, there was a princess named Sparkles. She was the most beautiful girl the earth had ever known, and she loved going to malls and singing songs.

One day Sparkles wanted to go to the mall with her friends, but the king, her father, wouldn't let her. He said it was dangerous for her to go on her own, and wanted her to do her homework instead.

Sparkles got really mad, and when she was left alone in her room, she snuck out to go and meet up with her best friend, Glitter. They went to the mall together, to shop and to flirt."

Robin chuckled to herself. She was about to keep reading, when she noticed Ellie had fallen asleep. She smiled fondly at the little girl next to her, and turned her attention back to the book. It told about Sparkles' adventures at the mall, and about how she learned she should have listened to her Dad. At the end, she got back home safely, and when she told her father she was sorry, he hugged her and told her he was proud of her for learning her lesson.

It was a weird thing for him to say, and it erased all doubt from Robin's mind. There was no doubt Barney had written that story, and printed it and even made a special cover for his daughter.

It made her smile, thinking about what it meant. Barney still thought about her, even after having a child from another woman. And she knew she was doing a good thing, by watching over said child.


	6. Chapter 6- Surprise at the door

Chapter 6- Surprise at the door

Robin was woken up by loud bangs. She didn't know where she was at first, and tried to remember last night. Looking around the room she realized she was in Barney's living room, laying on his couch. And everything came back to her.

She remembered reading the story to Ellie, then settling down on the couch. It was quite unpleasant, and it might have been better to sleep in Barney's room, on his bed ( _Their_ bed). But it wasn't _her_ bed, and sleeping in it while Barney wasn't there, just seemed like something she shouldn't do.

The banging turned out to be from the other side of the apartment's door, and it was getting louder and stronger. Wondering who it could be, she yelled "Just a minute!" at the door, and got up from the couch. The banging stopped. She was wearing a large sweater and long pajamas pants she brought from her apartment, but it seemed decent enough.

She walked slowly to the door, a little fearful of what (or rather who) she'll find on the other side.

The minute she opened the door, her eyes widen in surprise.

"Ted?"

"Oh," he said, with sarcastic edge to his voice. "So you _do_ remember me." He walked past her, entering the apartment and facing her, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Come on in," she said sarcastically, closing the door and facing him as well.

"Two months, Robin!" he yelled and she flinched. "Two months and you never bothered to call! And now _this_! I need to find out my best friend has been in a car accident a _week_ later, by his brother?!"

"Ted, calm down," she tried, not wanting for him to wake up Ellie who was still asleep in her room. Or so she hoped.

He stared pacing, his hands flying around in the air.

"Calm down?! No! You have no right, Robin! No right!"

"Listen, Ted, I'm sorry I didn't call you, but can you please not-"

"Not what? Not make a big deal out of it?! He's my best friend, Robin!"

"I _know_ ," she said, her voice soft. "I'm sorry. But Ellie's-"

"That's right! His daughter, who you didn't even know existed, was in the car with him, and you never thought about-"

"Uncle Ted?"

Both of them turned around to see Ellie standing at the doorway of her room. Ted's face softened, and he ran to her, lifting her up and hugging her close to his body.

"Hey, baby girl," he said, looking at her. "Are you alright?"

Ellie nodded, yawning. Ted put her down, stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry we woke you up," Robin told her, though it really was Ted's fault. She came closer, taking the little girl's hand.

"Come on, get back to bed, it's still early."

Ellie nodded again, and Robin took her back into her room. She put her back in bed, made sure she was well covered, and closed the curtains.

When she walked back to the living room, closing the door behind her, she saw Ted sitting on the couch, his face in his hands.

"I'm really sorry, Ted," she told him honestly.

He looked up at her, and she thought she could see a single tear running down his face.

"Why?" he asked when she sat heavily next to him.

"Lily thought-"

" _LILY_ THOUGHT?" he became mad again. Robin sent him a stern look, and he lowered his voice. "She was in on it too? So what, I was the only one who didn't know?!"

"She thought… well, she thought it wasn't a good idea to put more stress on you, considering…" but she couldn't finish, because this time she was definitely seeing tears in Ted's eyes. She hesitated before putting her hand on his shoulder, but decided to do it anyway. She didn't know if he wanted her comfort, or if he even considered her as his friend, but she wanted to show him that she still did.

"I'm sorry," she said.

To her surprise, Ted's arms wrapped around her and she could feel him burying his face in her shoulder. She stiffened at first, but after a few seconds relaxed and hugged him back. They sat like that for a few more minutes, Ted sobbing on her shoulder, while Robin rubbing his back.

Finally the sobbing ceased and Ted drew back. He whipped his wet face with the back of his hand, and avoided looking at her.

"I'm so sorry, Ted," she said again, referring to both the call she didn't make and Tracy's state.

He didn't answer, and she didn't know what else to say. They sat there in silence, each imprisoned in his own mind and thoughts.

 _He looks awful,_ she thought, sending him a few a few glances at his direction. His face was decorated by more wrinkles than she remembered from when she had last saw him. _How long has it been?_ She tried to remember. _Probably five or six years._

She had missed him, she had to admit to herself. During her traveling she thought about her friends a lot. Mostly about Barney, but also about Ted. She missed the safety of his friendship, the knowledge that no matter what she did, there was always someone to back her up and support her. She missed their old saluting joke, and his earnest advices. Seeing him this broken made her own heart to break.

When she got back to New York, there had been a few times when she picked up her phone and dialed his number, but decided against it in the last second. She was just too scared of the possibility of him not wanting to forgive her for not being there for so long.

"It's just so hard," he said suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts. "All the time I have to spend at the hospital, worrying my ass of. And dealing with Luke and Penny's questions about why they can't see their mom all the time. They are still so little… And Tracy, she's…" he stopped to wipe another tear, "she's so brave, but seeing her that fragile and vulnerable is the worst thing I have ever seen.

"And now Barney, _Barney_ of all people, the only one who was still here… it's just not fair."

She felt so bad for him, for having to deal with all that. He didn't deserve that, he deserved to be happy.

"I'm sorry, Ted," she said, for the million time. But she felt like no matter how many more times she'll say it, it still won't be enough. "For everything. For not calling you, for not being here for you. For Tracy…"

She couldn't deal with the dark path the conversation had gotten to anymore, and she knew she had to try and cheer in up instead.

"But no one is dead." She said, avoiding the word _yet_. "Tracy has a chance to survive this, and so does Barney. And we have to be strong for them and believe there will be some kind of miracle."

"Miracle?" he repeated, looking at her strangely. "Since when do you believe in miracles?"

"I don't know, I guess it is a good time to start."

"You're right." He said, smiling at her for the first time. Even if it was a small and sad smile, it was still better than watching him cry.

"So," he said, his voice changing to business like. "You're watching after Ellie, hah?"

"Yep," she replied.

"And how is that working out for you?"

"She's a cute kid," she said, smiling. After last night she really started to like that girl. She _did_ say her favorite book was about Sparkles. And she was just so much like Barney, that she couldn't _not_ like her.

"Yeah, she really is." Said Ted, agreeing with her. "So you really have no problem with that? I mean," he said hesitantly, "she _is_ Barney's daughter. You can't pretend that doesn't bother you, even a little."

"At first it did," she admitted. "And maybe it still does. But she's _Barney's,_ you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"I really missed you, Ted," she said, facing her fear of his response.

He looked up at her, and his face broke into a smile. "I missed you too."

She didn't realize how much she needed to hear him say it, until he actually did. She pulled him into a hug again, and he responded by wrapping his strong arms around her. And for the first time in a week, Robin felt a little bit better.

* * *

AN: Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate it! I'm starting University in two weeks, so I don't know how much time I'm going to have to write this and my other stories, but I'm going to try to continue writing as much as I can. 

About this chapter, I'm not a Robin\Ted fan but I do like how they had a strong friendship, even though they had so much history between them. And he did deserve to know about Barney. 

So anyway, hope you liked it, please continue to R&R, it makes me want to write more (:


End file.
